Rent began quietly enough, with Roger, an HIV-positive musician,
tuning his guitar and Mark, a struggling filmmaker, setting up his
camera on stage.

By the time the rest of the cast had assembled on stage and
started to sing the loud opening number "Rent", which lyrics like
"How can you connect in an age where strangers, landlord, lovers,
your own blood cells betray", I knew that this was not going to be a
typical Broadway show. There was something new to it, a feeling of
energy I had never experienced before in the theater. Rent was
louder, brighter and most of all, it felt real. From the setting in
the East Village to all of the queer characters, this was a world
that really existed.

One part of Rent that excited me was that all of the lesbian and
gay characters had more to them than just their sexuality. Tom
Collins, who fell somewhere between a computer teacher and a genius
hacker, and Angel, the most optimistic drag queen around, were the
perfect example of a happy couple -- straight or gay.

To be in a Broadway theater and watch two women, Joanne and
Maureen, work out problems in their relationship during the course of
a song was simply remarkable. "Take Me or Leave Me", was about two
really strong people having difficulty being together and these
people just happened to be women.

I can not give one reason as to why I love this show so much.
There is an incredible energy coming from this show, an energy that
can change attitudes, remind people that there is "no day but today",
and that a person can live with AIDS. Having seen Rent numerous
times, I can truthfully say that the cast puts an unbelievable amount
of effort into telling this story.

They always seem to be at their best and care about what they are
doing. I forget that I am in a theater and get caught up in the
story of these people who are struggling to survive in a place that
seems to be falling down all around them. Even so, they always
manage to find the light and love in life.